Receptacle



Oct. 10, 1933. C, P WELLMAN 1,929,459

RECEPTACLE Filed' March 4. 1930 2 sheets-sheet 1 @et 10, '1933. WELLMAN 3,929,459

RECEPTACLE Filed Marchy 4, 1930, 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 10, 1933 RECEPTACLE Charles P. lWellman, West Medford, Mass. Application March 4, 1930. Serial No. 433,010

9 Claims.

This invention relates to receptacles such as4 boxes, trays, covers, caps or cartons, formed of any foldablematerial, usually paper or cardboard, to blanks capable of being formed into such receptacles, and to an art of making receptacles. When I refer to a receptacle in this application I intend to include open-sided trays which may be closed by separate covers as well as receptacles having attached members for closing one or more sides.

Some objects of my invention are to provide a receptacle of foldable material in which the free edge of an end is folded over to improve the strength and neatness of the receptacle, in which gluing or otherwise aixing the end, the foldedover portion of the end and the glue laps or other wall-connecting flaps is facilitated, and which may be made by a series of severally simple operations capable of being performed by machinery.

Other objects of my invention are to provide blanks which comprise parts proportioned and related in a manner which is economical of material and which facilitates their formation into Vboxes, and to provide methods of ianipulating foldable material to assemble, trim and reinforce receptacles in a rapid and easy manner.

Fig. 1 is a perspective of ,a receptacle of my inventionhaving an improved end and side wall construction;

Fig. 2 illustrates a blank adapted to be formed into the receptacle shown in Fig. 1, and also illustrates diagrammatically the manner in which blanks may be cut from a strip of material;

Fig. 3 shows the blank of Fig. 2 with portions of the side and end-closure members folded over to provide turned and reinforced free edges;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1,l and illustrates a preferable way of intertting of end closure elementsof the receptacle;.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; "T Fig. 6 shows an alternate form of blank according to my invention;

Fig. '7 is a perspective .view of a receptacle constituting another embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 8 illustrates a blank adapted to be formed into the receptacle of Fig. "7; and

Fig.- 9 shows the blank of Fig. 8 with portions of its wall lmembers folded over to provide turned and reinforced free edges.

In each of the improved receptacles of my v invention the two ends may, if desired, be similar by utilizing symmetrical blanks as in Figs. 6 and`8, or blanks havingv opposite ends in reversed symmetry, as in Fig. 2. Accordingly it is not necessary to describe both ends ofv each blank, except to point out this preferable similarity between opposite ends of the various blanks.

Referring to Fig. 2, a blank of suitable foldable material such as paper or cardboard is marked by scores or folding creases 11, 12, 13 and 14 and transverse scores or folding creases 15d, 15e, 15f and 16d, 16e, 16j, into three wall sections, an intermediate or bottom section A, and outer side sections B and C, flexibly conjoined along their` side edges, preferably extending in parallel directions, and adapted to be folded into the angularly related positions of Fig. 1.

At one or both ends of the blank I provide parts adapted to constitute a' multi-thickness end closure including a principal end wall section extending in prolongation of one of these wall sections of the blank and a foldable flap joined to one edge of this principal Wall section. In the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 6, this principal end wall section comprises a rectangular section D extending in prolongation of the outer side wall section C. A foldable fiap G extends in a direction parallel to Wall sections A, B', and C, and is joined to the principal en d wall section D by a double crease 20 which enables it to be folded over and afxed by gluing or otherwise to the principal end wall section D as shownin Fig. 3. This principal end wall section D is adapted to be folded on the line 16d with respect to its adjacent wall section C, into the end closing position of Figs. 1,` 4 and 5.

In order to aix principal end Wall section D in this position, Iprovide one or more wall-connecting sections comprising integral flexible extensions of wall sections vand capable of being connected to principal end Wall section D, preferably in the manner of,I glue laps. In the embodiment of Figs. 1 to/ such a wall-connecting section in the form o 1a glue lap E is provided at the end of wall se tion A, and a second such section `F is provided at the" end of wall section B. I prefer that the glue laps or other wall connecting sections thusprovided be proportioned relative to the foldable flap G, (and to each other if more than one is provided) in such a manner that the one or more wall connecting sections and the foldable flap G may overlie adjacent portions of principal wall section D without overlapping, and preferably will lie in the same plane in the relative positions shown in Fig. 4.

-I deem it preferable to proportion and shape the foldable ilap Gand the one or more wall connecting sections relative.- to each other in such a manner as to form a substantially continuous secondary reinforcement extending approximately across a dimension of 'the principal wall section D. For example, in Figs. 1 and 4,-

it will be apparent that glue lap E cooperates with foldable flap G to form a reinforcement extending a'cross the height of the end of the box. Likewise the'two glue laps E and F in this embodiment cooperate to form a; reinforcement extending substantially across the width of the box.

In the illustrated embodiment of Figs. 1 to 6 wherein the end wall of the finished receptacle comprises the principal end section D, the trimming flap G, and the wall connecting sections E and F, the preferable relative proportions of these end wall forming elements may be expressed in the following manner, it being under'- intermediate 'wall section A. The length of the wall-connecting section E is preferably equal to the difference between the width of principal end wall section D and the Width of trimming ap G. Wall-connecting section E is preferably cut out at its side adjacent the wall. connecting section F as indicated at 28, an amount. equalto the length of this wallA connecting section F. Trimming flap G and wall-connecting section F are preferably beveled as indicated at 30, 31, at the exterior corners of the blank, to permit them to interflt as shown in Fig. 4. Thus in the preferable embodiment of my invention when the blank is closed into the box of Figs. 1, 4 and 5, the secondary reinforcement formed by the foldable ap G and the two wall-connecting sections E and F, covers substantially the entire area of the principal end wall section D and lies in juxtaposition thereto, and face to face therewith to form an end closure of substantially uniform double thickness.

- By aiixing the foldable ap G and any wallconnecting sections such asglue laps E and F employed, directly to the principal end wall section D, and without overlapping of the foldable flap and a glue lap, or of one glue lap withl another, I am able to form an end closure in which the superposed elements to which pressure. is applied in gluing are of uniformY aggregate thickness. Pressure applied to these superposed elements is equally effective over all portions thereof with a resultant improvement in the strength of the glued joint when the parts are amxed by gluing. This arrangement further enablesl me to provide a box having an end trimmed and reinforcedby the provision of a turned free edge,

. and further reinforced by its including asan element or elements in addition to the principal end wall section, one or more glue laps, with the end of the box comprising'only two thicknesses of material. Thiseifects an economy of material with respect to capacity and strength of the box. v-

The longitudinal sides of the box maybe provided with reinforced' and trimmed free edges by providing` aps K and L- onthe yblank attached respectively to side sections B and C and adapted to be folded over upon these sides, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The opposite end of the'` blank of Fig. 2 may, as indicated above, be provided with end-closure elements similar Lto those previously described, and is shown as comprising end-closure elements Da, Ea, Fa and Ga corresponding 2 are designated by the corresponding reference s characters Db, Eb, Fb and Gb. The end closure elements at `the right end of the blank of Fig. 6 and the other sections of the blank are designated by the reference characters applied to the'identical parts of the blank of Fig. -2.

In manufacturing the boxes, the blanks may be cut from a continuous web of material, as diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 2. Since in the assembled box (see Fig. 4) yglue lap E extends across only a portion of the height of end section D, and glue lap Fextends across only a portion of the width of end section D, these three elements D, E and F of the blank may be disposed as in Figs. 2 or 6, with their extremities in echelon, so that the blank has an end of stepped configuration. By this arrangement successive blanks may be cut from a continuous strip in intertting relation and with a of waste'material, the stepped end of one blank being'cut'from material having a stepped end boundary dened by the similar endconflguration of another blank. By disposing the end closure elements of the blank in reversed symmetry, asin Fig. 2, successive blanks, when cut, liein the same position, not reversed. This constitutes a distinct advantage, since the blanks are in position to be presented successively to folding instrumentalities without reversal A preferable way of forming the box of Fig. 1

is to move the blanks of either Fig. 2 or Fig. 6 continuously in the direction of the arrow :c (which also indicates the preferable direction of the grain of the-stock), apply glue to successive edge members G, L, K and Ga (or Gb), and then fold over these edge members of the material upon the adjacent outer wall sections, in the manner shown in Fig. 3. Since side and end reinforcing or trimming flaps (for instance parts G and L) are ,located in substantial prolongation, they may be folded simultaneously and/or by the same instrumentality. Since in these blanks these flaps are folded in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the blank, they may be turned over by a simple plow or folding device without substantial stopping of the forward motion of the blank. I consider it advantageous to be able to form the end reinforcing or trimming before or independently of the setting up of the walls of the box, since the material may be much more readily folded (especially by machinery) when in a flat blank than after it has' been set up into a box.

The blank may now be erected into a box and 1,929,459 the ends of the box closed and aixed, preferablyr by means of a simple box-making machine of the usual plunger type. After positioning the end-closure elements D, E, and F, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 with glue therebetween, a heavy compression may be applied rmly to glue these elements together. Since the reinforcingy or trimming ap G has previously been folded over upon end wall section D, as explained above, this Hap G also receives the compressive force applied to the other end-closure elements, and a substantially continuous double-thickness end closure is strengthened by gluing under pressure in one operation. No hand or machine worksubsvequent to this assembling operation is required to provide the turned and reinforced edges.

In the embodiment of Figs. 7, 8 and 9 end closure elements are connected to the wall sections of the box in a somewhat different manner from those of the previously described embodiments of my invention. Corresponding parts of the box and blank are indicated by the same reference characters employed in the previously described embodiments with the addition of primes. In the box of Figs. '7, 8 and 9 the principal end wall section D is attached to an intermediate wall section A', which may comprise for example, a top or bottom of a box, and wall-connecting sections such as glue laps E and F', are attached to adjacent side sections B and C of the box.` The side trimming and reinforcing sections L' and K' and the end trimming and reinforcing sections G' 'as shaped and proportioned to form in their folded state a substantially continuous secondary thickness superposed on the principal end wall section D of the box. In this box, the advantages of strength and facility of gluing are obtained,

` and the end trimming or reinforcing may be formed on the principal end Wall 'sections before or independently of the setting up of the box, with the resulting advantages of facility of manufacture and capability of use in assembly of ordinary plunger type box machines. D y

WhileI refer for convenience to theends and sides of my improved receptacles, I do not intend to infer that the ends of the receptacles must be, as shown, shorter than the sides, as obviously receptacles of many proportions may be made according to my invention.

I claim;

1. Receptacle-forming blank comprising conjoined intermediate wall and opposite side wall sections, a full sized end section joined to the end of one of said side wall sections and having a length equal to at least substantially the width of said intermediate Wall section and being adapted to extend from one side wall section to the opposite side wall. section and close the end of the receptacle upon erection of these sections,

a trimming flap joined to an edge of said end.

section and adapted to be folded over upon the end section to provide a turnedand reinforced free edge, and a'connecting section joined to an end of another of said wall sections and adapted to connect its conjoined wall section'to said end section, said trimming nap and said connecting section being proportioned and arranged with respect to each other for interfltting, in juxtaposition to said end section so' that the trimming flap, connecting section and end section may form a wall having no more than two thicknesses of the blank material.

2. Receptacle-forming blank comprising conjoined intermediate wall and opposite side Wall sections', a fullsized end section joined to the end of one of said side wall sections and having a length equal to at least substantially the Width of said intermediate wall section and being adapted to extend from one side Wall section tov the opposite side wall section, and close the end of the receptacle upon erection of these sections,

a trimming ap joined to an edge of said end section and adapted to be folded over upon the end section to provide a turned and reinforced free edge, and a connecting section joined to another of said wall sections and adapted to connect its conjoined wall section to said end section, said trimming flap and said connecting section being proportioned and arranged with respect to each other and to their conjoined wall sections to lie in a common plane atan angle to the intermediate wall section so that the trimming ap and connecting section do not overlie one another in a finished receptacle.

3. Receptacle-forming blank comprising intermediate wall and opposite side Wall sections flexibly conjoined along side edges, a full sized end section joined to the end of one of said side wall lsections and having ,alength equal to at least substantially the Width of said intermediate wall sectionA and being adapted to extend from one side Wall section to the opposite side wall section, and close the end of the receptacle upon erection of these sections, a trimming flap joined to an edge of said end section and adapted to be folded over upon the end section to provide a turned and reinforced free edge, a connecting section joined to the end of saidintermediate Wall section and a connecting section joined to the end of another wall section, each of said connecting sections being adapted to connect its conjoined Wall section to said end section, said trimming llap and said connecting sections being proportioned with respect to each. other to lie in a common plane at an angle to the yintermediate wall section so that the trimming flap does not overlie the connecting sections in a finished receptacle.

` 4. Receptacle-forming blank comprising intermediate wallfand opposite side wall sections flexibly conjoined along side edges, a full sized end section joined to the end of one of said side Wall sections and having a length equal to at least substantially the Width of said intermediate Wall section and being adapted to extend from one side wall section to the opposite side wall section, and close the end of the receptacle upon erection of these sections, a trimming flap. joined toy an edge of said end section and adapted to be folded over upon the end section to provide a turned and reinforced free edge, a connecting section joined to the end of said intermediate Wall section and a connecting section joined to the end of another wall section, each of said connecting sections being adapted to connect its conjoined lwall section to said end section, said trimming ap and said connecting sections being proportioned with respect to each other for intertting,

tions in a finished receptacle, all portions of the trimming flap and the connecting sections thereby being capable of receiving pressure equally when these parts are being pressure-glued to the end section. l

5. Receptacle-forming blank comprising conjoined intermediate and two opposite side wall sections disposed side by side and adapted to define three respective faces of areceptacle,- two full sized end wall sections each shaped to deiine and close a face of the receptacle, said two end wall sections being integrally joined to opposite ends of said two opposite side Wall sections repectively, two connecting sections of. less length than said end wall sections integrally joined to the other ends of said opposite side wall sections and two connecting sections also of less length than said end wall sections and integrally joined to the ends of said intermediate wall,

each of said connecting sections being adapted' in the iinished receptacleltol overlie and be fastened to .the adjacent full sized end wall section.

6. Receptacle comprising a continuous sheet of material including conjoined intermediate wall and opposite side wall sections, a full sized single end section integrally joined to the end of one of said side wall sections and `extending to the opposite sidewall section, completely to close the end of tt: receptacle, a trimming iiap integrally joined to said. end section and folded over thereupon to constitute an end reinforcement and provide a turned free edge, a connecting section joined to the end of another of said wall sections and connected to said end section, said trimming flap and said connecting section lying in a` coinmon plane in juxtaposition to and face to face with said end section.

7. Receptacle comprising a continuous sheet of material including conjoined intermediate wall and opposite side wall sections, a full sized single end section integrally joined to the end of one of said side wall sections and extending to the opposite side wall section, completely to .close the end of the receptacle, a trimming ap integrally joined to said end section.; and folded over thereupon to constitute an end reinforcement and lprovide a turned free edge, connecting sections joined to ends of the other two of said wall sections respectively and connected to said end section, said trimming iiap and said connecting sections lying in a commonplane injuxta.-

position to and face to face with said end section.

8. Receptacle comprising a continuous sheet of material including conjoined wall sections, a full size'dV exterior end wall constiuting an extension ofthe end of one of said wall sections and completely closing one face of the receptacle, a trimming flap constituting an extension of said exterior end wall and folded over thereupon inside the receptacle to constitute anend reinforcement and provide a turned free edge, connecting sections constituting extensions respectively of 'the ends of two of the exterior walls of the receptacle, said trimming flap and Sad connecting sections all lying in a. common planeeverywhere in contact with the inner face of said end wall and being secured thereto by adhesive without overlapping of said trimming iiap and connecting' sections. l Y

9. Receptacle-forming blank comprising con'- joined intermediate and two opposite side wallV sections disposed side by side and adapted to define three respective faces of a receptacle, two full-sized end wall sections each adapted to deiine and close a face of the receptacle, said two Y end wall sections being integrally ,joined to opposite ends of said two opposite side wall sections respectively, two lateral connecting sections of less length than said end wall sections and integralfy joined to the other ends of said oppo- 

